The present invention relates to a fluid machine, including a gas pump and a gas compressor, which employs a gas as a working fluid.
In general, a swash-plate-type compressor is employed as a gas compressor for use in a cooler, an air-conditioner, or the like.
However, the swash-plate-type compressor has a structural drawback in that its efficiency is poor since a piston is moved vertically within a stationary cylinder by the swash plate.
In commonly assigned U.S. application Ser. No. 770,581 a novel compressor with improoved efficiency is proposed for solving the problems of this swash-plate-type compressor. However, while this proposed compressor is quite rational in terms of its structure, it is necessary to consider the lubrication in the motion converting mechanism thereof.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to rationally carry out the lubrication in the motion converting mechanism and then to improve its durability.
The present invention is characterized in that a spherical contact structure is employed for mutual contact between a shaft having a rotary cylinder block and a shaft having a rotary plate rotating synchronously with the cylinder block, and that a high-pressure working gas containing lubricating oil on the delivery side is induced to this spherical contact structure portion.
According to this arrangement, it is possible to supply the working gas containing lubricating oil to the spherical contact structure portion by a high pressure generated in the operating process. As a result, it is possible to rationally effect the lubrication in the spherical contact structure portion, thereby improving the durability thereof.